Silverpaw
by Silverstream.'-123
Summary: Silverpaw leads a happy life in ThunderClan until one day a battle takes place, and RiverClan's leader says something unexpected. Soon she realizes that her origin is not ThunderClan, but from something entirely different...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Silverpaw raced through the trees, the breeze ruffling her silvery fur. Her blue eyes shone in the dim light of the setting sun as she zigzagged through the trees. The rich prey-scent of mouse floated up her nose, but she didn't stop to hunt. This was too important.

Finally she had reached camp. She hurtled inside, stopping so suddenly that a large cloud of dust arose from the ground. All her Clan-mates lounging around camp looked at her in surprise.

Ignoring their piercing gazes, she drew in a big breath of fresh forest air and yelped, "Attack at Sunningrocks!"

Immediately all cats went into action. The current leader of ThunderClan, Bluestar, came out from his den and gave orders. Numerous patrols were sorted out and one by one they caterwauled battle cries as they disappeared into the forest. Only a few cats were left, including Silverpaw.

"Now we can relax," one of the elders, Onewhisker, told her companions as he laid down in the sun.

Being a relatively new apprentice, Silverpaw hadn't much trained in battle yet, but she felt an itch to run to Sunningrocks and join the fighting cats. ThunderClan would need all the help they could get if RiverClan was planning to take over Sunningrocks like they had tried to for seasons. Each attack RiverClan planned used more and more cats, and each attack was harder to drive away.

As if reading her thoughts, Bluestar called to the remaining cats, "I fear that we will not have enough support. But we must keep at least three warriors in camp, in case they come here. Elders, keep to your dens. All apprentices go to battle right away!" he added. Silverpaw snapped out of her thoughts and nodded to the only other apprentice left in camp: her friend Mousepaw. She was a relatively old apprentice and should've been made an apprentice quite soon.

"Let's go!" called Mousepaw, and the two apprentices set off again through the trees, ignoring the lingering prey-scent and following the snarls in the distance and the scent of the mingling, fighting cats. Soon they had reached Sunningrocks. Silverpaw looked in surprise at the cats rolling about on the ground. Soon she recognized Crookedstar, the leader of RiverClan, tussling with Tigerclaw, a brave ThunderClan warrior known throughout the Clan for his fighting and hunting skills. The deputy of ThunderClan, Redtail, fought with all his might against a new RiverClan warrior by the name of Heavystep.

As Silverpaw surveyed the battle, Mousepaw sprung into action. Suddenly from behind, a RiverClan warrior bowled into Silverpaw, knocking her off his paws. Silverpaw hissed angrily and circled the warrior (whom was two times larger than her!). Finally, the warrior jumped on her and she quickly went limp—a trick that her mentor, Whitestorm, had taught her recently in her first battle practice. 'Tricking your opponent into thinking they have won is the first thing that every apprentice learns. Remember it,' Whitestorm had told her.

"You're dead, apprentice," hissed the warrior. Silverpaw flinched at the contact between his hot breath and her muzzle. She sprung up, knocking him down, and pinned him down. Now it was her turn to taunt him.

"No," she whispered to him, placing her head a mouse-length away from his face. "You are."

He yowled as she slashed his exposed stomach and he raced away. Silverpaw easily batted away a young, scared apprentice and raced to the bushes to watch the battle slowly. But a young RiverClan warrior saw her escape and he came up to her and meowed, "Scared, scumbag?"

"No, but you will be!" she spat at him and he spat as well. She walked backwards, getting ready to strike, but slipped on a puddle of spilt blood and fell to the ground, the red liquid soaking her already blood-stained fur. She gulped as he slashed her nose. He came in closer, so there was no escape. He edged in closer to her throat, as if to kill her.

"We'll kill you all for Sunningrocks…" he growled, but suddenly an unexpected voice yowled, "NO, Windkestrel, NO!"

It was Crookedstar! He stood in front of Silverpaw and growled, "This cat is not to be harmed," to his warriors. "You understand?"

They all nodded in alarm. This was an unexpected twist added to the battle.

Silverpaw stared at the RiverClan leader. Her icy gaze was met by his, but his eyes were gentle and loving. Crookedstar carefully batted away the warrior that had tried to attack Silverpaw, and she watched in silence as he reentered the battle. Her eyes narrowed and as she sprung back into the mass of writhing cats she watched Crookedstar snarl at Whitestorm. When she had looked into his eyes she had felt an unexpected guilt that rose in her stomach until she felt nauseous. Why had he said that?

Shaking her furry head, she rammed into the nearest RiverClan warrior and took out her guilt by scratching him over and over again until his dark blood stained the grass before her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Back at camp everything was calm. The elders sat in the middle of camp, the sunlight creating streaks on their old flanks. They yawned and chatted as always.

"Another Sunningrocks battle," growled Halftail. His eyes swiveled around at his companions. "I don't see why they don't take territory from the other Clans instead."

"Because they want to patronize us," Smallear answered angrily, his tail slashing the ground from side to side. "ThunderClan has always been their enemy."

The gentle voice of Spottedleaf arose from the medicine cat's den. Her beautiful head appeared as she meowed, "These are dark times for all Clans. There is a storm coming—StarClan has shown me."

"What kind of storm?" asked One-eye lazily as she stretched on the ground to soak in more sunlight. "It seems as sunny as an apprentice's first day in training!"

"No, not that kind," Spottedleaf murmured, approaching the elders. A few queens had come outside of the nursery to hear the warning, as had the remaining warriors.

Spottedleaf closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. The sunlight lighted up her eyes, and their secret, murky depths showed through as she spoke the warning. "Silver waters show the sign to all things divine. Give her up and you will see that Clan peace is soon to be."

One-eye's ears perked up as she heaved herself up.

"That means we have to find the cat with Silver waters," she meowed. "Easy enough."

"No!"

The magnificent cat named Bluestar came into the clearing. She had returned from the battle, followed by a few warriors who had retreated. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, and every step was painful, but she mewed bravely, "It is not our time to listen to this prophecy. I know exactly what it means, and I will not do as it says."

"Bluestar!" Spottedleaf's gentle gaze lifted into curiosity, and then shock. "You cannot ignore prophecies! StarClan sends them to us to help us through difficult times."

"This is difficult," muttered Bluestar. "It says we have to give up something…and I think that something has to be Sunningrocks!"

"Or maybe it's the territory by the river that flows silver," Spottedleaf suggested. By now all the cats left in camp had gathered around the two cats in wonder. "That's what the prophecy said: Silver waters show the sign to all things divine.

"But it also said: Give her up and you will see that Clan peace is soon to be. Give _her_ up. That means whatever we're talking about is a she. Maybe a she-cat, to be exact."

"Water is always known as 'she'," Bluestar argued impatiently.

"Bluestar!" Spottedleaf yowled. The clearing went silent. No one had ever known Spottedleaf for yowling. "Listen to me! This prophecy is important. It must be followed. I must speak to you in your den. This is gone on far enough. Medicine cats must listen and follow the prophecies. It is not the leader's decision as to what we must do or say. StarClan has a will for us all."

"Their will for me is to stop this nonsense! I'm guessing you made up that load of fox-dung," snarled Bluestar, her claws unsheathed. Spottedleaf gave her a calm look.

"If this is your destiny, then so be it," she said in an icy voice. "But I must follow my own."

She disappeared into the medicine cat den, followed by the injured warriors that had returned to camp with Bluestar. Spottedleaf gestured for Bluestar to come in her den as well, but Bluestar murmured, "No. I can take care of my own wounds, thank you."

She padded heavily in her den. Right after, Silverpaw and the other warriors and apprentices appeared, their flanks heavy with blood but their eyes filled with triumph.

"We won!" Silverpaw caterwauled, hoping to meet a welcoming party in the clearing.

"Hey!" Silver mewed, confused. "Where is everybody?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Has this ever happened before?" asked Silverpaw.

Grudgingly she held moss bedding in her mouth. The elders were stretching their old backs close to their nests as she changed their bedding for the third day in a row.

"What?" asked One-eye loudly, her tail cutting the air as she waved it impatiently.

"The rain?" added Half-tail. "Yes, there's been weeks of rain. Three days isn't too bad."

"No!" snapped Silverpaw hotly. The deaf elders were starting to bug her. "The medicine cat being mad at the leader, and vice versa."

"According to me," spat Smallear, "this is all a load of fox-dung. They're making it up to get attention! Oh, how Clan life has changed from the time I was a teensy apprentice like this youngun over here."

He gestured towards Silverpaw.

Silverpaw ignored him and turned to One-eye, repeating her question loudly.

"Once," whispered One-eye. "Long before I was a kit. But I cannot tell you what happened."

"Why not?" asked Silverpaw, curiosity biting her like a flea.

"Because nobody would tell me, either!" smiled One-eye, her old eye sparkling. "That's alright, little one. Don't fret. The fight will be over before you can say, "mouse-dung"."

"Mouse-dung!" Smallear taunted. Silverpaw let out a meow of laughter and left the elders' den. She approached Tigerclaw, who was speaking with Bluestar.

"Don't worry, Bluestar," he was meowing. "I'm on your side."

"The whole Clan should be! This prophecy is beyond me. Spottedleaf has never been angry before. And it's because of one cat."

"Tigerclaw, I've finished the bedding," she meowed. "How many more moons of chores must I do? I think my paws are falling off, and I'm behind in training!"

"What did this apprentice do wrong, Tigerclaw? I don't remember me or Redtail being consulted about this."

Tigerclaw turned to Bluestar, and then Silverpaw.

"Leave, apprentice. Your tasks are done for now. We will tell your mentor the word."

_The word? _Thought Silverpaw as she padded away. _What word?_

Darkness soon fell across camp, and Silverpaw yawned and made her way towards her friend Sandpaw. She was a very new apprentice, and had been made apprentice the same day as Silverpaw.

"Share tongues?" she suggested. Sharing tongues with a friend would do the trick to sooth her aching joints. Rain dripped on her as she watched Sandpaw turn away.

"Sorry, but I can't," murmured Sandpaw. "I must get to bed right away."

Silverpaw watched in shock as her friend turned away. What was wrong?

Sandpaw turned back as she reached the entrance to the apprentices' den.

"I really am sorry."

_I swear the Clan is turning on me,_ thought Silverpaw. She was too distraught to sleep, and sometime in the night she heard a yowl.

"SPOTTEDLEAF!"

It was a queen. _She's probably started kitting, _thought Silverpaw, and drifted off to sleep with the sounds of Spottedleaf's paws drumming across the forest floor. She woke up again to here the weak, yet proud voice of the queen. "There's a black one. He's so handsome, like Goldenflower's kit! What's Goldenflower's kit's name…Graykit, I think. He's an apprentice soon, I should think. I think I'll name my beautiful kit…Ravenkit."

"Rather simple, don't you think?" said the deep voice of a more senior warrior.

"Simple is the way I like it," the queen argued fiercely and went back to suckling her kit.

Silverpaw was more exhausted than ever, and she found a new comfortable position to sleep in. _I could sleep for a moon, _she thought just before she fell into a deep sleep.

Her sleep was so deep that she did not even fell the strong paws that lifted her up, up high and carried her off into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

MOUSE-DUNG !

Crookedstar sat, his eyes narrowed. The navy blue of the sky shimmered with the light of the stars. The forest was quiet, except for the pitter-patter of the rain that fell. But not all was at peace.

He watched, his eyes slits, as the ThunderClan cats lay down the sweet, silver kit. _It's her, _he thought to himself, his eyes bright with wonder. _It's my sweet, sweet Silverpaw. _

She was waking up just as the cats retreated into the shadows. Crookedstar murmured his thanks to the stars. He had asked them for a sign as to how he would get his daughter, and in a dream they told him it was already a reality.

Crookedstar immediately padded outside. It was a half-moon tonight. All his warriors were asleep, except for his deputy whom was watching guard. He walked up to Silverpaw and meowed in his rough voice, "Get up, ThunderClan apprentice. We must talk."

She staggered to her paws, looking bewildered.

"But I'm in River—RiverClan camp!"

She started running toward the exit.

"Attack!" she yowled. "ATTACK!"

The RiverClan deputy stood in front of her as she tried to exit camp.

"Thank you," Crookedstar said quietly. "Please, Silverpaw, follow me."

Silverpaw was shocked. How could he know her name?

Moments later, she stood in front of him, her jaw dropped.

"You can't be my father," she meowed.

"I am," Crookedstar disagreed bluntly.

"Are NOT!"

"It's not my fault I had to give you up to ThunderClan. I needed to become leader. I had to. I loved you dearly, but…"

"You gave me up to a different CLAN?" spat Silverpaw.

"I've only been leader for a few moons now," he meowed. "Please, Silverpaw. You do not know how much I've wanted you to be in my Clan. But it was impossible to tell you at a Gathering, so I asked StarClan to send ThunderClan a prophecy about silver waters…"

"Why waters?" Silverpaw asked, her eyes wide with anger. "I'm not in RiverClan! I'm not a dirty, smelly, watery, disgustingly egoistical RIVERCLAN CAT."

Crookedstar stood in shocked silence.

"I planned to tell Bluestar the truth, and ask if she could named you 'Silverwaters'," he meowed quietly. "So you could have a part of your RiverClan history in you still."

"No. Just…no."

Silverpaw walked out of her father's den in silence, her tail drooping. She had always thought she was a loyal ThunderClan warrior. Now what were the other cats going to think of her?

Crookedstar woke up to find his daughter laying in the middle of camp with her bright eyes worried. He walked up to her.

"I'm sorry," he meowed again. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But still, you'll have to except your origins."

"I suppose I am," she meowed. "So when do I start training?"

He purred deep in his throat. Perhaps this would work out after all…

"Actually," he said, clearing his throat, "After watching you fight at the battle, I think you can be made a warrior. A loyal RiverClan warrior."

"What will you tell the rest of RiverClan?" she asked wonderingly.

"Oh, they already know. But they won't tell a soul, and neither will the warriors of ThunderClan who know.

"What are you going to name me…Father?"

He smiled.

"You decide."

And so Silverstream, Graystripe's lover, was born.

Perhaps you don't believe this story. You think, "Oh, this author's making this up."

Think again.

Right after Silverstream was named a warrior, Firepaw came along, and so Erin Hunter's story was born.

Think about the prophecy. It said the peace would be divine if this cat was gotten rid of. But it never said what kind of peace. Could it be a…loving peace? Graystripe and Silverstream's love was divine. (Much better than Graystripe and Milly. Ew.)

So. This might just be a true story.


End file.
